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Middle East Quarterly Update

Quarter 4, 2017

At the ICAO No Country Left Behind Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) Workshop, in Cairo in September, CANSO gave presentations on CANSO training competencies; the outcome of the CANSO AIM Workgroup meeting in Kampala; and moderated the regional AIM Roadmap Workshop.

At the 6th ICAO Regional Aviation Safety Group - Middle East Meeting in Bahrain in September, CANSO presented a working paper on the progress of the Safety Enhancement Initiative related to SMS implementation for ATM and promoted the SMS Workshop in Muscat, Oman in November.

In October, CANSO participated in the APAC/EUR/MID workshop on service improvement through the integration of AIM, MET and ATM information services. CANSO AIM Workgroup members presented on the benefits and expectations of system wide information management (SWIM).

CANSO participated in the European AIS Database-MID Region AIM Database Workshop (EAD-MIDAD) which discussed the financial, institutional and legal framework difficulties facing the implementation of the Middle East AIS Database (MIDAD). Following EUROCONTROL recommendations, the meeting agreed that the MIDAD Task Force will develop a detailed plan for the transition of Middle East AIM to the European AIS Database. This will be in three phases: individual migration of MID States to EAD; set-up of MIDAD Manager; and implementation of MIDAD system and service.

CANSO attended the Fourth ICAO MID Regional Coordination Meeting (MID RCM/4) in October, which revised and agreed the top priorities for the region, including implementing PBN, air traffic service (ATS) routes, civil/military cooperation and flexible use of airspace (FUA), air traffic flow management (ATFM) and air traffic services interfaculty data communications (AIDC)/on-line data interchange (OLDI).

CANSO attended the fourth Directors General of Civil Aviation‐Middle East Region (DGCA‐MID/4) meeting in October, which discussed implementation issues related to aviation safety, security, ANS, environment, and air transport. DGCAs also reviewed and endorsed the MID Region No Country Left Behind Strategy (Muscat Declaration) and invited States and stakeholders to support its implementation.

Quarter 3, 2017

CANSO attended the 3rd Middle East Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group (MIDANPIRG) ATM Sub-GroupMeeting in Cairo in May 2017. Participants agreed to establish an Air Traffic Management Task Force and a Route Development Working Group; for the MID ATM Contingency Plan Action Group to carry out a comprehensive review of the MID Region ATM Contingency Plan; and for the B0-FRTO Action Group (an ICAO group to improve operations through enhanced en-route trajectories) to review and propose elements, indicators, metrics and targets for the B0-FRTO and to develop a revised Reporting and Monitoring Table to be included in the MID eANP Volume III.

CANSO has prepared and presented two ICAO technical working papers on RPAS and SMS implementation, detailing CANSO’s activities, achievements and guidance in the region, including the work carried out by CANSO as Champion of the RASG-MID Safety Enhancement Implementation (SEI), and the CANSO SMS maturity survey and review process.

Dr. Saleh H. Al Ghamdi, CEO of Saudi Arabia Air Navigation Services (SANS) has been elected Chair of the Middle East CANSO CEO Committee (MEC3) and the Middle East representative on the CANSO Executive Committee. Alan Corner, Director at Helios, has been elected Vice Chair. MEC3 agreed on the CANSO Middle East Strategy to work collaboratively with ICAO MID, and other organisations and stakeholders to develop, agree and implement joint regional initiatives, and champion safety enhancement initiatives. MEC3 further agreed that CANSO Middle East should focus on safety issues for the next eighteen months, particularly given that ICAO MID has asked CANSO to champion ATM safety initiatives in the region.

Quarter 2, 2017

In February, CANSO participated in the sixteenth meeting of ICAO's Middle East Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group (MIDANPIRG /16). Participants approved an amendment of the electronic Mid Air Navigation Plan (MIDeANP) VOLUME III, endorsed the 2016 MID Region Air Navigation Report, and agreed to create an air traffic flow management (ATFM) task force to develop an ATFM Concept of Operations for the MID Region.

Participants also agreed to establish a MID Route Development Working Group, to ensure the commitment of States and other stakeholders to enhance the ATS route network in the Middle East region through the endorsement of the ATS Route Network Optimization Project (ARNOP), and a World Cup 2022 Task Force, to develop and follow-up the implementation of a collaborative action plan to accommodate the expected increase in traffic, in a safe and efficient manner.

In addition, the meeting facilitated the creation of the MID Region ATM Data Security Plan, and an Action Group, composed of Qatar (Rapporteur), Oman, UAE, IATA and ICAO to develop a comprehensive study of Qatar's proposal for merging the activities of the Middle East Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group (MIDANPIRG) and Middle East Regional Aviation Safety Group (RASG-MID).

Quarter 1, 2017

At the CANSO Middle East Strategy Coordination Committee (MESCC) in November, Members agreed to develop a value proposition which identifies need and shapes opportunities for growth in the region. It will be used to inform potential members and strengthen the value of CANSO for existing Members.

CANSO attended the Third ICAO MID Regional Coordination Meeting (MID RCM/3) in December, which agreed the top priorities for the region, including implementing PBN, air traffic service (ATS) routes, civil/military cooperation and flexible use of airspace (FUA), air traffic flow management (ATFM) and air traffic services interfacility data communications (AIDC)/on-line data interchange (OLDI ). The meeting also decided that ACAC, ICAO and CANSO will conduct a joint civil/military workshop in 2017.

At the second ICAO Air Navigation Systems Implementation Group (ANSIG) meeting, participants reviewed the status of the priority 1 ASBU Block 0 Modules included in the ICAO MID Region Air Navigation Strategy; identified the associated difficulties and deficiencies; and reviewed and updated the first edition of the ICAO MID Air Navigation Report 2016, which will be presented to MIDANPIRG/16 for endorsement. The meeting also reviewed and proposed updates to the ICAO MID Air Navigation Strategy.

In January, the CANSO Middle East Safety Workgroup agreed the 2017-2018 work plan, in addition to a one-day training on SEANS-Safety.

At the Fifth meeting of the Middle East Regional Aviation Safety Group (RASG-MID) Steering Committee (RSC/5), CANSO agreed to champion the Safety Enhancement Initiative (SEI) on implementing safety management systems.